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RECAP | Flames – Canadiens: Price, Poehling Pace Habs to Win

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Montreal Canadiens vs Calgary Flames Game Recap: Habs Line-up, Score, Statistics, Highlights, Post-game Interviews, NHL Three-Stars

FINAL | Game 47, Home Game 24 | Monday January 13, 2020
Bell Centre, Montreal, QC

CANADIENS

Montreal

2-0

FLAMES

Calgary

Canadiens Lineup

Forward lines

Tomas Tatar – Phillip Danault – Ilya Kovalchuk

Artturi Lehkonen – Max Domi –  Nick Suzuki

Ryan Poehling – Jesperi Kotkaniemi – Nick Cousins

Jordan Weal – Nate Thompson – Dale Weise

Defence pairings

Ben Chiarot – Shea Weber

Marco Scandella – Jeff Petry

Victor Mete – Cale Fleury

Goaltenders

Carey Price – Charlie Lindgren

Scratches

Matthew Peca, Brett Kulak

Injuries

Paul Byron, Jonathan Drouin, Joel Armia, Brendan Gallagher

Game Report

Two wins in a row and the Canadiens playoff chances are still in the single digits. But there are reasons to be hopeful for the future.

Feeling down about the playoff picture?

Just watch Cale Fleury send Milan Lucic airborne on an endless loop. And Lucic’s face as he lay on the ice. Zach Rinaldo was on the receiving end of two solid reverse checks by Fleury tonight too. 

Bell Centre fans appreciated the physical play, particularly the launch of the villain Lucic. And you should too.

Or take a look at the patience of Ryan Poehling who, with his first option cut off, held the puck finding an alternate way to score. It was a goal scorer’s goal.

His first goal of the season came in his 20th game. He has overcome an injury to start the season, a trip to Laval and learning a new position in the best league in the world. You have to admire how hard he works, and how well he has been playing without finding his name on the scoresheet.

Then there was Jordan Weal’s fifth goal of the season. You might also take pleasure in knowing that the new coach behind the bench next season is probably not going to be quite as enamored with Weal as Claude Julien has been.

Find the moment in the game that makes you happy. 

Then there was the play of Carey Price who has endured an avalanche of unwarranted criticism this season. The folks that like to pretend they know numbers will quote save percentage or goals against as some sort of serious indictment. But return just a blank stare when they are asked to identify soft goals, or the number of high-danger chances or even the reason a general manager might neglect his responsibility to acquire a top-pairing left defenceman.

Price was brilliant once again tonight earning the 46th shutout of his career. That numbers ties Price with Ken Dryden for third place on the Canadiens all-time list. Only Jacques Plante and George Hainsworth sit above Price, who owns just about every other goaltending record of the Montreal Canadiens.

Just repeat those names and let that sink in a bit. If you are a true Canadiens fan, it should be a smile on your face.

Pay attention to the detail. Enjoy those moments this season. And remember the big picture.

As long as the deadwood is cleared, at the trade deadline and the end of the season —  that includes personnel who wear ties rather than jerseys — the Canadiens ship could finally be headed in the right direction.

Plus / Minus

▲  Carey Price, Ryan Poehling, Cale Fleury

▼  Max Domi

The Numbers

 Game Statistics 
CANADIENS   FLAMES
37 Shots 31
59 Face-off % 41
0-for-3 Power Play 0-for-2
4 Penalty Minutes 6
15 Hits 28
56 Corsi For 45
 Scoring Summary
 FINAL 1 2 3 OT SO T
 Canadiens (20-20-7) 1 0 1 2
 Flames (25-18-5) 0 0 0 0
Scorers Goalies
  • MTL: Weal (5), Poehling (1)
  • CGY: no scoring
  • MTL: Price (W) 18-16-4
  • CGY: Rittich (L) 18-11-5

Stars of the Game

 NHL Official Three Stars
NHL3stars
  1. Ryan Poehling  MTL
  2. Jordan Weal  MTL
  3. Carey Price  MTL

Watch

 Video Highlights 

What Did They Say?

 Post-game Quotes
Claude Julien  
  • “We approached the third period as if it were 0-0. It’s been awhile since we’ve been that good in the first period, so we had to repeat that kind of period in the third. We played a smart period, one that allowed us to get another goal and to win the game.”
Carey Price
  • “That’s another pretty cool milestone. I’m just looking forward to the next one.”

Ben Chiarot

  • “I think everyone knows that Carey (Price) has a special place in the history of this organization. He’s not just one of the best goalies, but one of the best players that’s played in the NHL and played for the Montreal Canadiens. He’s done a lot of special things in this city. Tonight is just another example of that.”
Ryan Poehling
  • “It was a relief for myself but, at the same time, it was perfect timing. It was a one-goal game and it was big to extend that. It gave the guys a little breather and we kind of played the right way the rest of the game.”

Dale Weise

  • “We have to grind out 1-0, 2-1 games. Pricey [Carey Price] obviously was unbelievable tonight, like he is every night. When we defend the way we did, and then we get some timely scoring from our third and fourth lines, we’re going to win some games.”
 

Quotes courtesy of NHL.com

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